For the Love of You
by Wolfgirl48
Summary: There's an undeniable tension between InuYasha and the wolf demon pack. 23 years after the destruction of the Shikon no Tama, the children of the group face problems of their own, one of which includes a forbidden romance. Based loosely on Romeo and Juli
1. Demon Blood

Hi! This is my attempt at an actual InuYasha chapter ficcy! It's slightly reminiscent of the good, old tale of Romeo and Juliet. Tell me if you like it or not!

Disclaimer: I own all non-original InuYasha characters in this story, unless I say otherwise.

For the Love of You

Demon blood. Always powerful; it will override anything mixed with it. That's why hanyous can become so powerful. When you have demon blood in you, power will practically crackle at your very fingertips. What kind of power that is, however, depends upon lineage. You have the potential to do anything you want to with this kind of power. It's liberating. This power can cause an amazing bloodlust, over ambition for power, so many bad things. That's why you have to know how to control it, thus learning how to control yourself…your urges. That's what Keitaru had always been taught, since the day he was born. It was supposed to give him a self esteem boost, but it didn't. He was less than a hanyou, yet more than human. It was so frustrating to him. It had been a little over twenty years after the defeat of Naraku and the destruction of the Shikkon no Tama. Keitaru, nearing his 18th birthday, was the youngest of Kagome and InuYasha's children. They had two together, and Shippo, which made three. The other was his sister, Chikara, was exactly 14 months and 8 days older than him, something she'd never let him forget. Chikara took her father's most prominent attribute, his beautiful white hair. She liked to pull it back, into a short ponytail. She also had fangs like their father. Keitaru was the one who inherited the ears, though. He had his mother's dark brown hair, with his father's piercing yellow eyes. His ears wear brown, like his hair, except for the tuft of white hair at the top. He looked out the window of his room, watching the sunrise through the trees, and, with a deep sigh, he stepped outside.

Chapter 1 – Demon Blood.

"Keitaru-ni!" a young girl squealed, chasing after the hanyou. "Keitaru-ni, wait!" Keitaru looked towards the voice. He knew who it was before he looked; it was Sango and Miroku's daughter. "What do you want, Safaia?" he said, barely holding back his amusement as the tiny girl stumbled towards him, carrying a basket filled with various garments to be washed. "I'm headed to the river." she said. "To wash some things. Can you come with me?" Keitaru rolled his eyes. It was impossible for him to refuse her. She always seemed to get to him somehow. She was almost the mirror image of her father, and, at eleven, was just starting to bud into womanhood. Her warm, violet eyes always bored right into him, like he was getting poked with a stick in the conscious. And not just any old stick, either; a stick that was just yanked out of the campfire. Safaia pulled at his jacket sleeve, looking up at the young man expectantly. "Yeah." he muttered, defeated once more. "Sure."

* * *

A loud 'click'ing sound had been coming from a cave in the mountains, disrupting the melodic chirps of the birds and pounding of the nearby waterfall. This was the wolf youkai's0 territory, led by Kouga. The loud voices of the hunting party began to enter the lone occupant of the caves' ears. Over the years since the incident with Naraku, the wolf demon leader had five kids, all boys, until the youngest, Okami. Since that was his only girl, Kouga was, as most fathers are, very protective of her. She had short, brown hair and piercing, ice blue eyes like her father's. She was the one in the cave, leaning against the wall, trying in vain to sharpen the edge of her short sword. "Why are you so obsessed with that damned thing?" laughed Tanoshii, the middle child. Tanoshii was definitely the one of her brothers Okami felt the closest to. He joked too much though, and she was not in the best of moods. "Imoto!" he said, sitting next to her. "Stop ignoring me." Her tail flicked slightly in annoyance, and she chanced a glance over to him. He was smiling his eternal grin, practically inhaling some large chunk of meat stolen from the carcass of the kill.

"You use that stupid sword because you're weak. Real youkai don't use those stupid we-" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Okami's knees were deep inside his chest; her fist just inches from his face.

"I wouldn't say that again, Tanoshii. Unless you want the imprint of my fist in your face, I mean." They exchanged glares for a long time before Okami finally decided to get off of him.

"Heh. You're so weak it's pathetic! Nothing but a stupid little fluffball!" Tanoshii knew that that would get his sister pissed off. He grinned with internal pride at his knowing how to push everyone's buttons just far enough for them to _almost_ snap. Okami started twitching angrily, and then Tanoshii knew he had gone too far. He could almost see the flames rising around her. He backed away slowly, but it was too late. Okami was already on top of him, accidentally pushing him out the cave.

"OKAMI YOU BIII…"

She couldn't exactly hear the rest, but she laughed slightly while he tumbled helplessly down the mountainside, landing with a soft _THUMP_, and what she assumed to be a long string of swears.

* * *

Shippo watched, fairly amused, as the young hanyou washed the clothes Safaia brought with her. The young girl, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen, and this fact concerned the kitsune slightly. He came down from his spot in a nearby tree and wandered over Keitaru.

"I knew you were here, already." Keitaru said smugly. "I can pick out your scent anywhere."

"Good for you." Shippo retorted, pulling a twig out of his fluffy, orange tail. "I'm assuming you know where Safaia went off to."

Keitaru shrugged. He threw the final piece of laundry into the basket and flopped leisurely into the grass. "She's around. I told her to bug off for a bit. She was getting to be annoying." With that, he took a good sniff of the air. "Wait…that's not right…" he muttered.

Shippo sighed deeply. "The scent is stale?" Keitaru nodded. "Yeah, she hasn't been around this area in a good hour or two." Keitaru hopped onto his feet. "Damn brat! This is why I hate babysitting!"

* * *

"Well, what's this I see, San?"

"Fresh meat, obviously, stupid."

"Should I grab it?"

"What the hell do you think, Aoi? Are you hungry?

"Yes."

"Well, stop making so much of a ruckus and grab it before it runs away."

* * *

"I wonder if Keitaru-ni would like these…" Safaia wondered out loud, holding a few, slightly crumpled wildflowers. She turned her head slightly, though, when she heard a slight rustling in the bushes. She blew it off almost automatically, though, figuring it was just a raccoon or something. "…I guess he would." Safaia muttered, back to her original thoughts. Suddenly, there was a rush of blue in the treetops. Safaia jumped, completely tense and ready to bolt at a moment's notice. She remembered what her parents always used to tell her.

"Don't go wandering in the forest alone!" her father would say.

"Make sure you always have a way to protect yourself when you're out there. There are a lot of youkai out there that would do a young child harm." would be most likely what her mother would say.

'_Maybe it's a youkai'_ she whimpered to herself. "Show yourself!" she screamed out, grabbing hold of a large stick. "Come out!" It seemed that the cackling of whatever it was out there echoed throughout the whole woods.

"Now, what the hell do you think that _that_ little twig is gonna do to me?" the voice said coldly.

The owner of the voice now stood directly in front of her. He had a slight smirk on his face; his short, spiked brown hair seemed to defy gravity. His, dark, chocolate brown eyes were laughing at her, it seemed. "Scared?" the man asked. A long tail flapping in the breeze showed that he most likely a wolf youkai. Safaia's fear now took a complete hold on her. She couldn't move or make a sound. In fact, the entire forest was silent, save for the breeze rattling the leaves on the tree branches.

"Should I kill 'er now, San?" another voice blurted out, completely ruining the tension.

The one named San threw a large rock in the direction of the voice. "Idiot!" he roared, royally pissed. He threw a few more rocks and started screaming even louder than before. "Do you understand the first thing about hunting!?! It's SILENT! SILENT!"

The other youkai fell head first out of the tree he was sitting in. "Sorry San." he whimpered, rubbing the bump forming on his head. There was yet another rustle in the trees however; an unexpected one, that sent both youkai standing at full guard and had Safaia more scared than ever.

"San! Aoi! God! I was looking all over you two dipshits!" yelled a feminine-sounding voice. "Stop playing with your food and kill it, or bring it with you, something!"

"Go play with your dolls, Okami!" the second demon, Aoi, spat. The one named Okami then proceeded to drop on top of his head.

"I'm _not_ a child, stupid." she stomped hard onto his skull before walking towards Safaia. "Were you two _serious_!" she said, looking at the terrified Safaia. "You know we're not supposed to hunt humans!" The two male demons looked at their companion scornfully. Okami then turned to the spiky-haired San. "Obviously you were the brains behind this hunt, considering the company…" she paused to make her point, motioning towards Aoi, who was now chasing down frogs. "What the hell were you thinking?"

San sighed. "Thinking with my stomach and not my head."

Okami turned to Safaia. "You're safe now, little girl." she smiled. "Lucky I showed up, huh?" Safaia nodded. She then looked around, demon to demon. Aoi didn't seem so bright, but the other two were, especially the one named San. He seemed to radiate a kind of wise and powerful aura. Her eyes then shifted to her savior, Okami. Unlike the other two, her bright blue eyes shone with peacefulness and cheer. There was a slight flash of orange in the bushes.

"She's nearby, I can smell her." yelled out Shippo. His head popped out of the bushes, followed by the head of Keitaru. "Safaia!" the both said simultaneously. Seeing the situation, both young men jumped out, hands on weapons.

"What's going on here?" growled Keitaru, forcefully pushing Okami out of the way. "What were you about to do, you damned wolf bitch!"

Okami regained her balance, crouched on all fours, with one hand on the hilt of her short sword. "I just saved the little brat's life, you mud-blooded freak!" she growled back, readying for a fight. Keitaru looked taken aback by the insult and pulled out his sword. "Little bitch." he hissed. "I should kill you." Okami smirked, completely ready for the fight. "Bring it, puppy." she laughed and pulled out her own sword. Meanwhile San and Aoi surrounded Shippo.

"Mmm…kitsune." snickered Aoi. "No rules against this, right San." San seemed to share in his companion's hungered excitement. "None at all, Aoi. None at all." Shippo glared at his two opponents and unsheathed his sword. "Do you want to try me!" he snarled viciously.

* * *

"I wonder what's taking them so long." muttered Tanoshii, who was wrapping up his various cuts and scratches. Sitting next to him was a younger boy with large green eyes and shaggy, black hair. His upper body armor looked too big for him; it hung loosely off his shoulders and hit with a dull clang every time he took a shallow breath. This was the youngest boy, Shizuka. His body was doused in sweat and he was panting very heavily, as if he had just completed an intense workout. "See, Shizuka, this is what happens when you try to take on Okami." he said cheerfully to his brother. "You end up falling off a cliff." He knew that the younger youkai would say nothing as a response. He was a very silent boy; barely made a sound, ever. He always looked so sad and sullen, and now was not an exception.

"Tanoshii-ni" he whispered.

Tanoshii paid no mind. He was busy trying to pick the fleas out of his tail.

"Tanoshii-ni!" he cried again. This time he heard. He turned towards the rarely spoken voice.

"What is it, Shizuka?"

The young youkai keeled over.

"I…I don't feel…so good…"

And with those last words, the diminutive body of Shizuka collapsed weakly onto his stout brother.

* * *

Okami looked at her rival. "It'd be wise," she said calmly, after much thought. "If you take your young and run with your tail between your legs. You're outnumbered and likely to get an innocent bystander hurt." Keitaru looked coldly at the female standing directly in front of him and nodded in agreement. Okami shifted slightly, keeping her eyes on her enemies as well as her volatile companions. "San. Aoi. Let's go. They're not worth it."

"I'm not gonna take orders from a little girl." Aoi said grumpily.

"Yes you are." San said, equally upset. He yanked his subordinate's tail roughly. "Come on, idiot."

With that, all three wolves disappeared into the woods.

* * *

A few hours later the three wolf youkai returned back to their den. Tanoshii greeted them at the entrance. Seeing the troubled look on the young demon's face, all three were immediately worried. "Tanoshii-kun, what's up?" asked Okami, unable to mask the concern that laced her voice. San sneered. "He probably lost his steak to someone." Aoi laughed, but the joke didn't lighten up Okami one bit. Tanoshii's face just got sterner. "No, this is really something serious." he growled slightly in response to San. "It's Shizuka. He just collapsed. We think he has a fever. He's not doing well at all; he's just been getting worse and worse!"

"What's going on!" screamed Okami. She, as well as Aoi and San were struggling through the crowd of people formed around the sick boy, the pack medic, and the pack leader. "Rena!" growled San, grabbing the old woman by the shoulders. "What's the matter with Shizuka?" "Watch how you handle her, boy" snapped the voice of their father, Kouga. The young demon nodded and let go of the old medic. "Well…" the old wolf began after much deliberation. "Sadly, there's not much I can do for him." Kouga started.

"So, you're saying he's going to die?"

She shook her head. "There's not much I can do now." she stated simply. Tanoshii stood up angrily, teeth bared. "You're just going to let him die!?!" he yelled. "You're gonna sit back and watch my brother suffer!?!" The old woman looked at them solemnly, stating her helplessness with a single, saddened look. Okami knelt next to her older sibling. "His head is burning hot…" she sighed sadly. Just then an idea sparked into her head. "Well, what about that village nearby? Maybe they could do something."

* * *

Chikara sneered evilly at her younger sibling as he pushed his messy, brown hair out of his face. "Can't even watch one little child for an hour, can you Keitaru?" she laughed. "Almost got eaten by demons. And you call yourself a responsible adult." Keitaru just kept walking, ignoring his sister's taunts. It had just rained the night before, so the ground was still soft. It felt good to be able to squish the mud between his toes. He looked casually towards the setting sun and sighed as he saw a small flock of birds soar by. _'If only I were as free as you guys…_' he thought glumly. "…ooh, and what are Sango-san and Miroku-houshi going to do to you when they see you…" Yep, she was still going on. It was like she never shut up, always babbling on about something, like a broken record. She was trained by their mother, Kagome, to be the next miko when she decided on stepping down, and like their mother, she was very difficult to get quiet. _'Quiet…wait, she's quiet now!'_

"What is it, Chika-chan?" Keitaru asked tentatively.

"I sense something…" she muttered slightly. "Two powerful youkai are headed this way."

* * *

(A/N: -ni – brother; Imoto – little sister)

I really, REALLY hope you like this first of many chapters. Bye now!


	2. Never Let Me Dwon

Thank you, Sakura Uchiha and Element Hanyou for reviewing. I'm sorry to disappoint hardcore Inu fans, but this story is not centered on them, but their kids (and Shippo). I hope everyone likes chapter 2.

Chapter 2 – Never Let Me Down

Though he was small in stature, Shizuka was not the youngest child. That title belonged to his sister, Okami. He was seventeen, yet he looked like a twelve year old, and the fact really bothered the young wolf. He was not, however, a pushover, and the current situation he was in made him feel completely useless. Shizuka was draped, sweaty and gasping for air, over the shoulder of San, his oldest brother. San was most likely the one to take over their father's position after he gave up the title. He was intelligent, powerful, and very wise, yet his anger seemed to get the best of him. Aoi, meanwhile, was a complete muscle-headed idiot. He was the second oldest, and he always bullied Shizuka. San lie the sick boy down in the dirt, nearby the village. It was a stream not too far away from where he was lying. The sound of the cool, crisp water rushing over the rocks was very relaxing to him. San muttered something to Okami, probably telling her to keep an eye on him or something. Shizuka didn't care though. He just wanted the weight on his chest to go away; for the searing pain in his breaths to stop. He looked with pained and saddened eyes at his sister, who was busy dipping a rag into the cool stream water. He watched the girl carefully. It was actually rather amusing; she kept trying to keep her tail out of the water, but no matter how hard she tried, it kept drooping. Every few seconds, she'd snap her tail back towards her back, sending a high arc of water droplets flying into the air. He laughed internally. Okami was always one to put someone in a good mood, whether intentionally or not.

* * *

San sat on the wall at the village of where he was instructed to go. There were quite a few men staring at him, bowstrings taut with arrows. He felt himself chuckle slightly. What was intimidating, however, were the four angry youkai glaring at him. In particular, the burning, yellow eyes of the white-haired hanyou known as InuYasha. He was warned by Kouga not to get into a fight with him, because he could probably easily tear him to shreds, and as much as his pride was injured by finding out that a mutt was stronger than he, he obeyed his father's wishes and remained non-confrontational.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble!" San shouted out to the crowd.

"Well then, fleabag, what _are_ you here for?" snarled InuYasha, his hand on the Tetsaiga, readying for any type of confrontation that might present itself.

San twitched slightly by the insult. Counting out his sister, out of the entire pack, he was the best groomed. He stood up and put one hand on his hip, shifting his weight ever so slightly from one hand to another. "I need to meet with the miko!" he bellowed back. "It is of the utmost importance that I see her right away."

InuYasha automatically jumped to the defense when hearing the mention of his wife. Keitaru and the others noticed this, and took a good few steps back. "What business do you have with Kagome!?" he growled defensively.

San, by this point, was starting to get intimidated by the angry hanyou, but nonetheless his intimidation didn't show. He replied calmly: "My brother is very sick. The pack medic can do nothing to help. 'Kagome' or whatever her name is, could possibly be his last hope"

'_Swallow your pride, San…swallow your pride…_'

"We…would do anything…if you could help him…"

* * *

"How are you feeling, Shizuka-ni" Okami asked. She put a hand on his head and felt that it was still very hot. She put the cold rag on his head. "You still have a fever, but it'll pass, okay?" She brushed his hair out of his face. It was strange to her to be taking care of him, seeing that he and Tanoshii used to do the same for her when she was sick, which, when she was young, was quite often. He never let her down, and she wasn't planning on doing it to him. Shizuka's eyes darted around nervously, trying desperately to figure out what exactly was going on. "Wh…where are we now…imoto…?" he stammered weakly. "Wha…what's going on?" Okami sighed gently and gave him a flask filled with pure, clear stream water. "You're getting dehydrated, Shizuka." she said calmly. "Drink." Shaking, he took the flask from her and took a long, sloppy swig. "We're taking you to a miko dad knows." she said, switching the rags for his head. "He says she might be able to help you." Shizuka's eyes widened in fear.

"Might!?!" he said fearfully. "Am…am I going to die!?! Okami? Am I dying!?!"

"I…I don't know, Oniichan…" she said sadly. She felt the tears of fear and sadness welling up in her eyes. _'I have to be strong for Shizuka'_ she choked. _'I can't just cry.'_

"Hey…Okami"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry…I'll…I'll be fine…okay?"

Okami nodded. As hard as she tried, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming freely down her face; she could only nod. Shizuka sighed slightly and let his body relax. He didn't like seeing his little sister so scared, so he figured whatever was wrong with him must be serious; she was normally a very strong person. He felt his eyelids get heavy and his head roll back. Okami's screams were only a distant sound in the far background.

"Don't fall asleep!"

The rich colors of the forest spun crazily with the peaceful darkness of rest. Shizuka's body felt light, the tightness in his chest suddenly was not as tight…the pain in his lungs not as severe. The warmth of the sun warmed is cold skin. It was strange, because he was still sweating a lot. Still, the young youkai's voice echoed softly in the background.

"Don't fall asleep! Shizuka! Wake up! Shizuka!"

He didn't want to wake up though. Sleep lessened the pain in his torso, the cramps in his stomach, his heat in which his forehead burned, the searing pain of his waves of headaches, the quick, unsteady beats of his heart...

* * *

Okami saw her brother's body go completely limp. He was breathing, but just slightly. "Shizuka!" she screamed frantically, trying to rouse him. "Shizuka! Wake up! Wake up!" Her entire face was wet with tears. Through the haze of her tear filled eyes, she saw a familiar figure standing nearby. He picked up the limp wolf's body and offered a hand to help her up.

"I'm taking him to my mother." a very familiar voice. "Dry your tears. You're no use to anyone in that state."

* * *

Keitaru looked solemnly onto the tearful state of the young woman from the morning. He was pretty sure she recognized who he was, but was completely thrown aback when he felt the girl collapse into his chest sobbing quietly. _'I'm not good at this!'_ he squeaked nervously to himself and put an awkward arm around her. "C-come one now!" he stammered nervously. "Get…get yourself together! Stop crying! C'mon! Stop crying!"

Okami sniffled and looked into the young man's face. He was the same man from earlier that day…the one that called her a bitch…yet now he was comforting her…or at least, something along the same lines as comforting. He smiled slightly. "Are you alright now?" he said kindly. Okami could only nod. She didn't trust herself to speak yet. "Well, follow me. The village is nearby, and I'm sure you don't want you're boyfriend to see you like that.

'_Boyfriend…is he talking about San?'

* * *

_

Okami couldn't sleep that night. She had made arrangements, once they had made it into the village, with San, to stay until Shizuka was back on his feet. She sat on the roof of Kagome and InuYasha's home, looking intently into the full moon.

"Hey! Wolf girl!"(A/N: sorry!)Keitaru said, standing behind her. "What are you doing on _my_ roof?"

Okami sighed. "Looking at the moon."

"Mind if I sit?"

"It's your roof."

They sat in silence for a long time, staring at the silver clouds pass by the moon. Keitaru was finally about to break the silence, when Okami interrupted him.

"Thank you." she said, looking at the claws on her toes. If it weren't so dark, Keitaru probably would've been able to see the thin strip of blush that laced her cheeks.

"No problem." He stuck out his hand. "My name is Higurashi Keitaru. And you?"

"I'm Okami. How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"One year older than me."

Keitaru looked at the girl sitting next to him. Earlier in the day she seemed a lot older than him…not exactly his parents' age, more like Shippo. She seemed much more wise and mature than the years she claimed she was. He also remembered, though, this afternoon, in her moment of absolute weakness. She reminded him of a child then; a terrified child who was about to lose her brother. He couldn't blame her for getting hysterical. As much as he hated to admit it, Keitaru knew that if Chikara or Safaia were ever in the place of that small boy, he'd probably be just as hysterical. He wouldn't be _crying_ of course. He never cried. Well, not since he was a little boy. But he'd be screaming for help. Yes he definitely would. He saw the immense amount of worry and fear in her eyes and sighed deeply.

"I believe you now." Keitaru said.

Okami looked at him, fairly confused. "About what? I never told you anything."

"You weren't trying to hurt Safaia." And with those last words, Keitaru climbed back down into his room, to get some well deserved rest. The moonbeams glistened on Okami's tanned skin. She looked on into the giant blue disk and sighed. This was going to be an interesting few weeks.

* * *

(A/N: _Never Let Me Down_ is a song by Kanye West. I just liked the way it related to the story, and I decided to use it as my own title.)

Chapter two is over, but I'm already starting on Chapter 3. R&R. Love and peace!

Wolfgirl


	3. Brain Teasers

Next chapter…go!

Chapter 3 – Brain Teasers

"Hey, no! Stop cheating!" a boy yelled out, throwing a tightly wound leather ball high into the air. Another boy, a bit older than the first, jumped into the air, catching the ball before it hit the ground. "How can you cheat, if there are no rules?" he laughed. He was then tackled to the ground by yet another boy sending the ball spiraling, once again, in the air.

The game they were playing looked a mix between football, soccer, and basketball. There were no rules, except to get the small ball passed the designated goalkeepers. A lot the older boys in the village played this nameless game, Keitaru included. The young men were very particular at who got to play; a lot laughed at the odd girl or younger boy that asked to play. Everyone, however, wanted the young hanyou on their team. They would literally fight hours for which he'd play with. Keitaru didn't care. He humbly acknowledged that he was better than all of them combined. He didn't try to be narcissistic, it was the truth. He was faster than all of them. Right that minute he outran them all in the scuffle for the loose ball.

"Kozue! Heads up!" he shouted to his teammate, giving the ball a mighty heave in his direction. The boy, Kozue, caught the ball, only to be smashed to the ground by four other guys.

Okami watched their game from afar. It looked like fun, but she had a feeling that youkai weren't trusted much in the village. Especially wolf youkai…

"Okami-san! Watch it!" a voice called out, ripping Okami from her thoughts. The large ball was careening towards her head. She half-heartedly smacked the ball right back in the direction of the boys, hitting one right in the head.

"Néne?" Keitaru said, lightly kicking the twitching boy. He turned in surprise towards the young woman who reduced a powerful goalkeeper to a writhing, bloody and bruised mess.

* * *

"Two bowls of water"

"Hai"

"Eight cups of rice"

"Hai"

"A pinch of salt"

"Hai"

"And that, my friend, is how you make boiled rice."

The black haired girl smiled in delight. "That's it!" she squealed. Sango smiled slightly at the young woman. She had never really learned how to cook, it was a shame, but she was willing to do anything to impress her love. She had come a few months back to visit them, mostly Shippo, a grown woman. The last time they had seen each other, both were just little children. Little, arguing children…and Sango was sure that the girl would be a bit surprised by how mature the little fox had gotten.

Shippo was just surprised at how much she had 'grown up.'

"_Who are you?"_

"_Don't you remember me at all?"_

"_Obviously not. So…who are you?"_

"_I'm Souten, stupid!"_

"_Souten?"_

"_Yes! You still don't remember me?"_

"_Not really…"_

Given it had taken him a few days to remember where he knew her from, he still quickly developed feelings for the brash girl with the black hair tied up in buns. He almost never saw her without her hair like that. It was strange, like they were plastered to her head in that particular shape. Granted, she looked absolutely stunning on those rare occasions that she let her hair down. She had a type of tomboyish charm and confidence that took his breath away. Literally. She actually knocked the air right out of him one time. It was alright though. He'd deal with it.

"_I used to love you."_

"_You did?"_

"_Yeah…when we were younger…I wanted to leave with you…but I knew I couldn't…"_

"_It was just one day…"_

"_That's all it takes."_

She was brave, he'd give her that. He was completely taken aback by her response, all he was expecting was a slight blush, or, an 'I'm sorry', something to get him to have a better idea about what type of girl she was. Many girls from the village professed their love to the red-haired young man, but they were nothing really. Nothing much to him, anyway, except maybe a good night. Not that he was a slut or anything, no, not at all, but he had been around the block a few times.

"_Souten…"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Do you still love me?"_

The question still echoed in his mind…even to this day.

"_I don't know."_

Her answer stung him deep in his heart. Here he had fallen for what he believed to be the perfect girl, practically spilling out his heart, and she wasn't sure of her own feelings. What does it mean, "I don't know". He just didn't understand it.

"_I don't know…I don't know you anymore, Shippo-san…"_

What was there to know? Wasn't he the same as always? No…he was older. He grew up, in his mind and heart. He remembered the small kiss on the cheek she gave him, along with a wide smile.

"_But it's okay, see. 'Cuz I'm here now. I'm sure I'll get to know you just fine."_

Shippo couldn't help but smile at the memory. She may have been an adult, but she still had something girlish and young about her. It just got him to become more attracted to her, and eventually even fall in love. He loved her…and was not ashamed to admit it…not anymore.

"_You love me?"_

"_Yeah…I guess I do."_

You have to be brave. You have to take risks. That's the only way to get ahead in life; the only way to make progress. You could soar as high the clouds, or crash and burn in a blaze of glory, but the only way to ever find out was to take that first big jump.

"_Well…I love you too."

* * *

_

"Souten!" Safaia shouted out. She was quickly becoming attached to the young woman, and followed her around whenever she had the chance. That is, when she wasn't tailing her Oniichan. "Souten!" she shrieked again, as she was quickly turned upside-down by Shippo. "Make him stop! Make him stop!" The young kitsune held her upside-down by her ankles. Souten looked at the two of them, amusement lacing her stern glare. "Sango'll be mad as hell if you two break anything!" she groaned. Meanwhile, Safaia was chanting "Let me go!" over and over again. "Drop the girl, fox!" she finally said. Shippo let her go, leaving her to land less than gracefully on her back.

"Ow! You stupid, smelly old fox!" she yelled playfully. She really did like Shippo; he was the next to next best thing to Keitaru-ni.

"I'm sorry, was I misbehaving?" he laughed, with a devilish glint in his eyes. The intended receiver of his statement didn't respond however.

"Yes you were." Safaia said matter-of-factly. Shippo looked slightly surprised by the young voice. He smiled evilly and looked her in the eyes.

"Oh really now? Well, what are you gonna do about it?"

She gave him an angry glare and stomped out to annoy her parents. Once he was sure the girl was out of earshot, he gave Souten a soft kiss on the lips. Well, at least he tried. What he ended up with was a mouthful of flour. The woman was trying her hand at making dumplings, and that hand was right in his face.

"Tryin' to steal a kiss?" she asked calmly.

"Yeah." he said lustfully. "What are you gonna do about it?"

The next thing he knew, his shirt was lying in the flour, and he was lying on the floor.

* * *

"He's doing much better today." the kind-hearted miko said to her. Okami could just feel the waves of worry evaporate when she spoke to her. "He should be alright in no time." She couldn't help but grin broadly when the older woman said that. "Thank you so much, Kagome-sama!" she said, barely containing her happiness. "Is he awake now?" Okami dared a peek into the back room of the small shrine, but all she could see was a wall of blankets.

"I put those up so nosy villages wouldn't disturb his rest." Kagome laughed cheerfully.

Okami sweatdropped. _'Caught in the act…'_

"Of course!" she laughed awkwardly. _'His hair is just like hers'…pretty and brown…'_ She felt herself smiling at the uncanny resemblance between mother and son. _'What the hell…I don't like him…'_ She quickly shook the thought out of her head and sighed to herself. _'Of course I don't!'

* * *

_

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you, Keitaru."

"Thanks…"

* * *

That's chapter 3. It was supposed to be out by Valentine's Day, but, I had a lot of work in those few weeks, so I couldn't get much work done. Meh. Bye-bye. 


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